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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · wake · suit · bowl · cold · bore · hand · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. hand — help
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cold — not warm
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cold — an illness
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. suit — to fit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com